WIND Hellas

United Group has reached an agreement with Crystal Almond Holdings Limited for the acquisition of Wind Hellas.

The deal is reportedly worth 950m euros.

Providing mobile, landline and television services, Wind has a total of 4.2 million users and has revenues of over € 500 million per year.

Greece has raised 372.26 million euros ($453.78 million) from granting rights for the use of different bands for the development of 5G networks, its telecoms regulator (EETT) said on Wednesday.

Wednesday sees the start of the state auction of bandwidth for the development of fifth-generation telecommunication networks (5G) in Greece, but the state-of-the-art services to subscribers will also come at an added cost.

Wind Hellas announced this week it has selected Ericsson for the development of its 5G network across Greece, with the Swedish company also cooperating with the Greek service provider in the sector of business support.

The deal for the acquisition of a 33% stake in Forthnet between the BC Partners investment group and the creditor banks of the Greek telecommunications company was all but sealed on Friday, with the only issue still pending being the bridge funding of 15 million euros from the British group to Forthnet for the period until the acquisition is approved by the competition authorities.

Athens-listed Independent Power Transmission Operator (ADMIE) on Tuesday announced the signing of a 15-year contract to lease out its fiber-optics grid to telecommunications supplier Wind Hellas, in its first step toward becoming active in the wholesale telecommunications market.

Foreign investment funds are said to be focusing on Greek telecommunication services provider Wind Hellas.

This minor player in the Greek cellphone market has garnered the attention of at least four investment groups that want to invest in the country's telecommunications sector, Kathimerini understands.

A growing number of private equity firms are taking advantage of Europe's buoyant bond market to extract money from companies they hold by loading them with debt, prompting some investors to warn the fixed income rally is nearing its peak.

Greek telecommunications provider Wind Hellas on Thursday expressed certainty that it is on course for growth, as it seeks to expand its infrastructure and enter the pay-TV market.

Vodafone is the preferred bidder for the sale of 100 percent of Cyta Hellas, parent company Cyprus Telecommunications Authority announced on Friday. The contract for the transaction could possibly be signed even before the first round of the Cypriot presidential elections on January 28.